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My even later FUN report with some pics!
ElmerFusterpuck
Posts: 4,901 ✭✭✭✭✭
Wonder if I'll be the last one to post a winter 2015 FUN report? Either way, here goes:
Got to Orlando on Wednesday and made our way to the Sonesta Suites on International Drive. My travel agent wife got us a great rate there, and we also found out it was very centrally located. Our rental car sat idle the whole time; we either walked to where we needed to go or took a shuttle. It was about a mile walk to the convention center, which is probably about the same distance if you parked by the north/south concourse buildings. Between other fun things (Universal Studios, putt-putt golf, happy hours), I attended the FUN show most of the day Thursday and a few hours on Saturday morning. Here is my take on the 2015 show, my second FUN:
1) Thursday started out fairly crowded, and got to see the ribbon cutting to open the show, which was cool. The traffic seemed pretty steady the whole time on Thursday. Saturday appeared to be quite a bit lighter, but still steady.
2) My main search was for nice type coins, usually look for capped bust halves first, then seated halves, then toners, then large cents, then other stuff. First show in awhile I didn't pick up a single capped bust half.
3) Submitted a handful of raw coins to PCGS for grading, results will be in a future thread.
4) Picked up an auction win from Great Collections.
5) Got to talk for a bit with David Kahn, TPRC, Brian Cushing, Dennis King, and a few others during the show.
6) Visited the Paragon Numismatics table, where they had the 'comet' and a blue-green monster Morgan on display. These coins belong near or at the top of the monster list IMHO.
7) Submitted a couple of bids in the Sheridan Downey auction, went 0 for 2. Quite a bit of nice stuff in that auction!
8) Visited with the U.S. Treasurer Rosa Rios for a bit; she was very personable and nice.
9) Panned for gold and managed to snag a couple of decent little gold nuggets. This is a neat part of FUN.
10) Found more coins for my collection on Saturday than I did on Friday, usually the first day is the most productive. So much stuff to go through.
11) Nice no-problem circulated seated halves were very scarce. Way too many blast-white dipped out VF's and XF's (slabbed and raw) for my liking, ended up with a total of zero there too.
12) Missed the PCGS luncheon and the Pawn Stars stuff. Would have liked to have been one for two here, you can guess which one.
13) Overall I had a blast, will most likely check out Tampa next year too.
Now for the pics...
Opening day crowd waiting to get in:
Rosa Rios speaking at the opening:
Me and my wife with Rosa:
Rosa signed all these bills for us, any currency starting with 2009 on up has her signature:
Morgan monsters at the Paragon table, my pictures don't do them justice:
Now for my purchases:
Large cents from David Kahn, 1803 S-258 in PCGS VF-35, 1817 15 stars in PCGS XF-45:
Picked this Morgan up from Great Collections, 1881-S PCGS MS-65:
Picked up this neat endroll toner, PCGS MS-64 CAC:
Blue Franklin, PCGS MS-66:
Last coin bought at the show from Dennis King, PCGS MS-68:
Got to Orlando on Wednesday and made our way to the Sonesta Suites on International Drive. My travel agent wife got us a great rate there, and we also found out it was very centrally located. Our rental car sat idle the whole time; we either walked to where we needed to go or took a shuttle. It was about a mile walk to the convention center, which is probably about the same distance if you parked by the north/south concourse buildings. Between other fun things (Universal Studios, putt-putt golf, happy hours), I attended the FUN show most of the day Thursday and a few hours on Saturday morning. Here is my take on the 2015 show, my second FUN:
1) Thursday started out fairly crowded, and got to see the ribbon cutting to open the show, which was cool. The traffic seemed pretty steady the whole time on Thursday. Saturday appeared to be quite a bit lighter, but still steady.
2) My main search was for nice type coins, usually look for capped bust halves first, then seated halves, then toners, then large cents, then other stuff. First show in awhile I didn't pick up a single capped bust half.
3) Submitted a handful of raw coins to PCGS for grading, results will be in a future thread.
4) Picked up an auction win from Great Collections.
5) Got to talk for a bit with David Kahn, TPRC, Brian Cushing, Dennis King, and a few others during the show.
6) Visited the Paragon Numismatics table, where they had the 'comet' and a blue-green monster Morgan on display. These coins belong near or at the top of the monster list IMHO.
7) Submitted a couple of bids in the Sheridan Downey auction, went 0 for 2. Quite a bit of nice stuff in that auction!
8) Visited with the U.S. Treasurer Rosa Rios for a bit; she was very personable and nice.
9) Panned for gold and managed to snag a couple of decent little gold nuggets. This is a neat part of FUN.
10) Found more coins for my collection on Saturday than I did on Friday, usually the first day is the most productive. So much stuff to go through.
11) Nice no-problem circulated seated halves were very scarce. Way too many blast-white dipped out VF's and XF's (slabbed and raw) for my liking, ended up with a total of zero there too.
12) Missed the PCGS luncheon and the Pawn Stars stuff. Would have liked to have been one for two here, you can guess which one.
13) Overall I had a blast, will most likely check out Tampa next year too.
Now for the pics...
Opening day crowd waiting to get in:
Rosa Rios speaking at the opening:
Me and my wife with Rosa:
Rosa signed all these bills for us, any currency starting with 2009 on up has her signature:
Morgan monsters at the Paragon table, my pictures don't do them justice:
Now for my purchases:
Large cents from David Kahn, 1803 S-258 in PCGS VF-35, 1817 15 stars in PCGS XF-45:
Picked this Morgan up from Great Collections, 1881-S PCGS MS-65:
Picked up this neat endroll toner, PCGS MS-64 CAC:
Blue Franklin, PCGS MS-66:
Last coin bought at the show from Dennis King, PCGS MS-68:
10-4,
Erik
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Comments
OINK
I also wished I'd seen that 15 star 1817 large cent in David's case - I was either too dazzled by the walkers, or you had already snagged it, but
that's coin I need to upgrade from my VF. Very under rated major variety in these higher circ grades.
Nice group of coins you picked up. Congrats.
Mike
Thanks for your reporting. I know my favorite people in the world gather at these events.
https://acoinshop.com/ —-> https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
You're not supposed to touch Rosa....
Tom
Tom
Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
My YouTube Channel
Cool pickups...81-S 65 looks like a blazer...swear I've seen that one around here before.....
Man is your white balance off on The Comet!...I've seen her too and she's a killer.
Nice coins too
Ike Specialist
Finest Toned Ike I've Ever Seen, been looking since 1986